When the Brewers brought Joey Ortiz into the fold in the Corbin Burnes deal, they were asking a lot from a player with barely any major league track record. Ortiz had just 15 MLB games behind him, and the early returns in Milwaukee were uneven enough to fuel plenty of second-guessing.
Burnes, of course, did what Burnes does. The Orioles got a full season from a frontline arm, and he backed it up with a 3.39 ERA while earning his fourth career All-Star nod and helping Baltimore to 91 wins and a second-place finish in the American League East. That made the return look thin from the start, especially with Orioles fans and Brewers fans both knowing how much was at stake in that trade.
Ortiz, meanwhile, opened his Brewers tenure with a promising burst. In his first three months, he hit .281 and looked like he might be settling in as the answer at third base.
But the momentum didn’t last. An injury cost him the first half of July, and after that he never got back to that early version of himself.
He finished that first season batting .200, and the bat never really carried the weight the Brewers needed it to.
Last year was his second full season, and if nothing else, Ortiz was on the field. He stayed healthy, kept taking his turns, and remained one of the steadier defenders in the infield.
The production at the plate, though, came in fits and starts. The first two months were rough, June looked like a turning point, July slowed him again, and August brought another strong stretch before an injury wiped out the final week of the month.
Few parts of his game were more maddening than what happened with the bases loaded. Ortiz set a franchise record for single-season plate appearances in that situation and led the National League with 31 total chances. But the results were painfully modest: five hits, one double, one grand slam, and 16 RBIs.
This season began with a different feel, and Ortiz wasted no time in the Brewers’ first bases-loaded opportunity of the year by singling in the club’s first run. Even so, his leash seemed short entering the year. He had become the kind of player fans could appreciate for defense and speed, but not necessarily count on for much else, and plenty of eyes were already drifting toward the deadline and the search for the next Willy Adames.
Then came the move to third base, and the entire picture shifted.
Ortiz started the season as the Brewers’ shortstop while Luis Rengifo and David Hamilton split time at third. His offense at short was rough - he hit .165 with one home run and 11 RBIs through April and May - but once June arrived, the left side of the infield changed shape.
On June 15, the offseason signings became eligible to be traded or released, Rengifo was designated for assignment, and Cooper Pratt stepped in. That left Ortiz and Hamilton to handle third, and Ortiz quickly took control of the job.
Since June 15, he has hit .297 with 35 hits, five home runs, 19 RBIs, and 14 runs scored in 41 games. The Brewers have weathered some of their toughest stretches because Ortiz has finally been giving them real offense to go with his defense.
He kept it rolling against the Dodgers, too. Last night, Ortiz launched a two-run homer that put Milwaukee ahead, and through the first three games of the series he has four hits, one double, one home run, and four RBIs. Quietly, he’s turning into “The Dodger Whisperer.”
What once looked like a spot the Brewers might want to move on from has become a spot they can’t afford to empty. With the lineup expected to be close to full strength by the end of the month and the bats showing signs of life, Ortiz’s surge at the plate, paired with his defensive reliability, is helping push Milwaukee toward a version of itself that could matter in October.
In Other News...
Brewers Finally Have Injury Relief On The Way At Key Spots
After 17 straight days with games, the Brewers finally get a breather on Aug. 17 before opening up again against the Mariners on Aug. 18, and the timing could hardly be better. Milwaukee has been managing a stretch that has tested its depth, but help is starting to line up from multiple directions as the club inches toward getting some key pieces back on the roster.
Brice Turang is set to return on Aug. 18 after missing the Dodgers series with left knee pain, while Sal Frelick could also be back as soon as that day if the Brewers make the call to activate him. Cooper Pratt is eligible to come off the injured list on Aug. 19 and will begin a rehab assignment, Abner Uribe is eligible later in the month, and JoJo Romero is expected back before August ends after his emergency appendectomy. For a team that has spent plenty of time juggling its lineup and bullpen, the next week should bring some much-needed clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Bauers Is Forcing A Tough Brewers Offseason Call
Jake Bauers has turned what looked like a depth move into one of the Brewers more interesting roster stories, putting together a strong season and setting career bests in several offensive categories. He has given Milwaukee production at a position where it can be hard to find it, and his .275/.384/.500 line has made him look less like a placeholder and more like a real part of the lineup conversation going forward.
That is why the Brewers are staring at a tougher offseason than they probably expected when they brought him in. If they want to keep him in the fold, the front office has a decision to make about how much value to place on his breakout, and how much roster flexibility it wants to preserve as it sorts out the rest of the infield and first base picture for the seasons ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Are Watching One Draft Bet Look Smarter Than Ever
The Brewers have found themselves with a pair of intriguing infield bets in the Ebel brothers, and the early returns have only made the organization look sharper for taking the long view. Milwaukee drafted Brady Ebel out of high school in 2025 and followed by selecting his younger brother Trey in 2026, then watched both move quickly enough to climb in the clubs prospect rankings.
Bradys recent promotion to High-A with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers is the kind of step that starts to turn a prospect from interesting into legitimate. He has also cracked MLB Pipelines Top 100, while Trey is beginning his pro path at Low-A with the Wilson Warbirds, giving the Brewers two young shortstops in the system who are drawing attention for more than just the family connection. [Read more 🡒]